Page 21 - SKILLS Workforce Development Guide 2021

A Regeneron scientist works in
the infectious disease preclinical research laboratory on the company’s Tarrytown campus.
‘THESE JOBS ARE BEING CREATED’
For those looking to create jobs rather than land one, the Westchester County Biosciences Accelerator
offers a six-month program to
provide entrepreneurial guidance
and networking opportunities to new ventures looking for seed money
to build their companies. “We help entrepreneurs figure out how to get the wheels rolling, and that creates jobs,” explains Mary Howard, program manager at the accelerator. “They may need a lot of people” if their idea takes off, she says. In fact, most new jobs are coming from small and medium-size companies, Howard says: “This is a boomtime in creating new companies, and in general, small companies are where the jobs are coming from.”
Joanne Gere, executive director
of the Westchester Biotech Project, agrees. “These jobs are being created, not so much opening,” she says. The Westchester Biotech Project was cofounded by Michael Welling, after his son, Matthew, was successfully treated for a rare leukemia as an infant.
“Matthew was saved by cutting-edge treatment. I saw others die, so I felt an obligation to use his story for good,” Welling says. Gere and Welling work to bring disparate silos in the biotech universe together. “It’s a vision of a collaborative community that supports anyone and everyone in solving
their ‘X,’” Welling explains. If that X is workforce development, for instance, they work with local colleges and
their academic advisors to highlight job opportunities and the coursework they require. “We focus on alignment between career and academic advising,” Gere says. Along with STEM grads, they are also exploring ways for students with liberal arts degrees “to find their way into this field.”
The COVID pandemic thwarted in-person training, of course, but they planned on launching online coursework and internship programs this spring; “By fall, we hope to bring people together again,” Gere says.
For her, a challenge lies in “the alignment of inspiration and opportunity. Can you get a job doing this work
close to home?” Long-term, the answer
seems to be a resounding yes. Between startups and companies relocating
here from New York City, the need for workers in biotech “is very serious,” she says. Welling, in fact, thinks Westchester is in danger of falling behind the curve. “Healthcare and biotech is one of
the fastest-growing areas of equity investment. I believe this is one of, if not the, biggest areas of growth. We are way behind other places in the country — Boston, San Diego, even Chattanooga and Columbus. So many communities that five years ago were looking for a lifeline to success landed on this. We are playing catch up. We need to be sure we are not left behind.”
Westchester County’s Office of Economic Development has compiled an interactive map of the area’s bioscience ecosystem, including employers, incubators, academic institutions, and nonprofits. Find it at www.westchestercatalyst.com/work/ biosciences-sector.
What’s Hot. What’s Next. What’s Needed. SKILLS 19
© Courtesy of Regeneron